


Together, Forever

by orphan_account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Best Friends, Children, F/M, High School, Love, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 08:58:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2645975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have been best friends ever since they were born. Their friendship had withstood throughout everything—from broken pinky swears and cooties to the stress of middle school and preteen angst. But high school brings a whole other level of confusing feelings and misplaced trust. Will their friendship crumble? Or could it possibly blossom into something more? All human. AU. Constructive criticism appreciated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter I

** DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

** Chapter I **

16 Years Ago

Sally Jackson sat at the dining table breathing in the wonderful aroma of the freshly baked apple pie that lay on top of it.

Earlier that morning, Mrs. Phelps from next door told her that their new neighbor would be arriving that afternoon. As soon as Sally got home from her morning shift at the candy store, she prepared them a little welcoming gift. She was rather excited about it, as she had heard that the family had a newborn baby girl, whom she hoped could become little Percy's playmate as they grew up.

Sally smiled as she thought of her own baby son. At one month old, he already had a tuft of raven black hair to match his tiny sea green eyes. His toothless, dimpled grin was enough to make the sleepless nights spent watching over him completely worth it. She felt like the luckiest mom in the world to have the most perfect little boy. Her only regret was that his father, who passed away a couple of months before Percy's birth, would never be able to share in her joy.

The whirring of an engine snapped Sally out of her reverie. She peered out of the window, and sure enough, there was a family van just across the street. She carefully placed the fragrant pie in a basket and went to tidy up her clothes.

Fifteen minutes later, she was rapping her knuckles on the front door of the new arrivals. She heard a grunt, a couple of crashes followed by a groan. Soon, the door whipped open to reveal a pleasant-looking Asian woman with red highlighted hair tied up in a bun.

Sally smiled widely, "Hi, there! I'm Sally Jackson. I live right across the street. Just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood, Mrs. err…"

"Chase. But you can call me Helen," the pretty lady—Helen, replied, "Is this for us?" she asked, gesturing to the basket.

"Yup! Hope you're settling in well. Need a hand?" Sally asked concernedly, hearing a couple more crashing noises from inside.

"We'd be extremely grateful," Helen said with a smile. "My husband is probably wrecking the entire house."

The two women spent the rest of the afternoon chatting animatedly about anything and everything that came to mind. When they reached the topic of their children, Helen asked Sally for tips on handling babies. Sally replied that she hadn't a clue, either. And so they began spending nearly every afternoon taking care of their children together, giving each other tips and exchanging their experiences. Bonding over their children, they soon became great friends.

12 Years Ago

4-year-old Percy was eagerly waiting for Helen and Annabeth's visit. Last night, his mom had given him a brand new pack of crayons and a stack of coloring books for his birthday, and boy was he excited to show them to Annabeth. He couldn't wait to see the smile on her face when he showed her the coloring page that had an owl on it. He knew she loved owls.

_ Ding-dong. _

"YAAAAAAAY!" he yelled with a gummy grin, "Bethy is here!" although it sounded a lot more like "Bethy ith here" due to his annoying lisp that he couldn't seem to rid himself of.

Sally chuckled at her son's antics, although she too was excited for her best friend's arrival. "I'll get the door!" she hollered.

Percy and Annabeth spent the afternoon coloring page after page together in Percy's tree house that his mom had built with him over the summer.

At one point, Annabeth pointed to a drawing of a mermaid that Percy had colored, and reprimanded him, saying, "You're such a Seaweed Brain! Mermaids don't even exist."

To which Percy retorted, "Do too! And you're such a Wise Girl, feeling like you know everything!"

"But I do!" Annabeth countered.

"Of course not. What's two times three hundred?" Percy tried, thinking of the biggest number he knew.

"Six hundred," Annabeth replied instantly, with a smug grin on her face.

"You really _are_ a Wise Girl," Percy admitted defeat, shoulders slumped. "I don't even know the answer to that but you sound pretty right."

"You really _are_ a Seaweed Brain. But it's okay, 'cause you're my Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, attempting to console him by wrapping her chubby little arms around him.

They showcased their masterpieces on one of the walls, littering it with dozens of pages of colored drawings, messily taped by the hands of a four-year-old. When they had successfully covered an entire wall, they sat down, side-by-side, and admired their work.

"We did a good job, Percy," Annabeth grinned, pronouncing everything right to Percy's dismay. She had always been a faster learner. "We make a good team," she continued.

And Percy believed her with his whole heart, mostly because Annabeth was never, _ever,_ wrong. They _did_ make a good team. They were the perfect pair of awesome coloring skills and awesome taping skills.

"Yeah," Percy responded with his trademark, lopsided smile. "We should be together, forever!"

"You know what? We should pinky swear to make it official. You and me; Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl—together, forever." Annabeth swore solemnly.

"Together, forever," Percy agreed, looping his pinky around hers in the most solemn agreement known to mankind.

6 Years Ago

For the first time in a long time, Percy was confused.

Well, that isn't really true. Percy was always confused. He was confused about his Math lesson, confused about whether girls still had cooties—confused about practically everything actually. But this was the first time in his life that he was confused about Annabeth.

She had been acting strangely the entire day. First, in Math class, she only recited _thrice_. That's like, an all time low for any class that Annabeth has ever attended. She usually recites at least 7 times for other subjects, but Math? She practically answers all the teacher's questions during Math. It was her favorite subject, and everyone knew that, Percy best of all. He had gone through several of her endless chatter about how awesome Math was, every day ever since he was born!

On the topic of her endless chatter, another thing noticed was that she hadn't spoken to him the entire day. Not a single word, aside from a short "hi" when she got into the car that morning on their way to school. She always talked to him- almost too much, actually. So obviously, something was up.

On top of all that, she wasn't wearing the owl necklace her dad had gotten her for her seventh birthday. That was probably the strangest thing about her today. She loved that necklace more than she loved most people—excluding him, his mom, her dad and her two younger siblings, Bobby and Matthew. Her not wearing it really threw him off.

Percy wanted to talk to her, but at the same time, he was afraid that he'd say something stupid and mess up their friendship. Besides, she had been busy with school the entire day, so he never got a chance. At least, those were the excuses he told himself. Truthfully, he was just really confused and had no idea what to say. But he swore to himself that he'd man up later that afternoon, when they went to the tree house and did their homework together like always.

And so he found himself staring at Annabeth that afternoon, trying to figure out what to say as she finished writing the last few answers to their Math homework. Unfortunately, staring at her was a total Seaweed Brain move, and she abruptly stopped writing and caught him staring.

"Are you okay?" she asked, a little awkwardly, as if she thought he'd gone insane.

"A-am I oka-ay?!" Percy stuttered, before getting all worked up. "What about you! You've been acting all weird the whole day!" he was nearly yelling, though he had no clue why. He was really, really confused.

"Look, I'm sorry I haven't been speaking to you, but I'm just really upset right now, okay?!" Annabeth returned, just as angrily as Percy.

Percy softened. He said, more gently this time, "What's up, Wise Girl? You know you can tell me anything right. That's what best friends are for."

Annabeth hesitated. _But this is Percy_ , she told herself. And so she found herself muttering, all in a rush, "MydadpassedawayyesterdayandnowI'mleftwithmystepmomwhomIhateandIreallydon'tknowwhattodo!"

All Percy caught was the very ending, which sounded a little bit like "oo!". Nonetheless, he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, which was shaking with sobs, and gently asked her to repeat herself. When he finally understood what she was saying, his lips formed a small "o" in surprise. He rubbed her back in circular motions, hoping he was more comforting than disturbing. He let her cry into his shirt for the rest of the afternoon, Math homework forgotten.

Percy didn't say a word, but his comforting presence was more than enough for Annabeth. That's what best friends did, after all.


	2. 2

**DISCLAIMER: I am a teenage girl; I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

_Percy heard someone crying._

_Loud, ugly sobs, agonized howling echoed through the house. Not just any house—it was her house. Just like it was her sobs._

_Percy froze for a split second at the bottom of the steps, gut wrenching, chest aching as another wail ripped through the otherwise silent home. He suddenly snapped into action, bolting up the steps, two at a time, until he skidded to a stop in front of Annabeth’s room._

_Another moment of hesitation—he knew Annabeth needed him, yet he was terrified of what he would find on the other side of the door._

_With a sudden sense of urgency, he twisted the doorknob open like his life depended on it and kicked it forward to find—_

No, _he thought to himself,_ no this isn’t possible.

_For there, on the glossy wooden floor, lay Annabeth. Except it couldn’t be, because the girl in front of him had her wrists slit, her blood bleeding out in sudden bursts, complexion as pale as the snow falling outside her window and a haunted look in her eyes._

_“You left me!” she screeched._

_Percy stood there, dumbfounded and immobile._

_“I thought we would be together, forever!”_

_Percy tried to run forward, but his limbs held in place._

_“But you left me when I needed you the most! You call yourself loyal yet you couldn’t even support your best friend of sixteen years!”_

I love you, _he tried to yell._

_“You did this to me. I hate you.”_

_The song “Firefly” by Owl City started blasting out of Annabeth’s cellphone._

Huh, _Percy thought just as his eyes fluttered open._

 

Percy sat up in his bed; beads of sweat pouring down his forehead.

Sure enough, the same song from his dream—his nightmare—was now humming from his own cellphone, signaling a call from Annabeth.

 _Oh gods,_ Percy thought, _ANNABETH!_

He grabbed his phone from where it lay on his wooden bedside table, hitting the answer button, before shouting, “Annabeth! Are you okay?”

“Well, other than the fact that you just _yelled in my eardrums at seven in the morning,_ sure, I’m great!” she replied, injecting as much sarcasm into it. “I just called to remind you that we leave in fifteen minutes, first day of school _, remember?_ Why do you sound so panicky anyway?”

“Err...” Percy mumbled. “No-nothing.”

“Okay…” Annabeth said; sounding completely unconvinced but deciding not to push the topic. “Well, get ready, Seaweed Brain. See you in a few.”

Percy hung up the phone. He was still in shock from his nightmare, but he decided to push it to the back of his head, which he often did with things that confused him.

He quickly got dressed and raced down the steps, eager as ever to see his best friend.

“Bye, mom!” he called as she rushed out to meet him with his lunch. “Thanks, mom, you’re the best,” he said, kissing her on the cheek affectionately.

He jogged over to the silver Camaro that Helen and his mother had bought for them and slid into shotgun. Unfortunately, he _still_ didn’t know how to drive—the worst part being that Annabeth did. She had always been a faster learner than him. Then again, at least they didn’t have to have his mom drive them. Now, she could use mornings to work on her books.

“Hey, Bethy,” Percy greeted her in a teasing, singsong voice.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at him. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you think I’m pretty,” he smirked.

“Whatever,” another eye roll followed.

“Come on, Annie,” he whined. “Stop being so grumpy this early in the morning. Secret best friend handshake?”

“I’m driving,” Annabeth grumbled, but the corner of her mouth had started to lift, much to her dismay.

“We’re already parking.”

“And so?”

They skidded to a full stop.

“Now, you have no excuse,” Percy said smugly.

Annabeth eventually gave in and did their childish (but admittedly, cute) handshake.

“Yay! Bethy loves me,” Percy teased.

“Ugh. It’s a good thing I don’t have many classes with you today or I’d go insane.”

“Fine then. Be that way. I hope you don’t mind sleeping with a spider tonight, Chase,” he threatened.

“Don’t you dare, Perseus Jackson!” she warned.

“Just kidding. Love you, Wise Girl.”

“Love you too, Seaweed Brain.”

By this time they had already reached the school entrance and the chatter of the surrounding students drowned out any potential conversations, save a short “see you later” between the two.

Percy stared after his best friend of sixteen years in complete admiration. He watched as she walked in the opposite direction towards her locker-- curly blonde hair cascading down her shoulders in small waves, slender, long and tan legs, and waves of happiness rolling off her, affecting everyone she passed. She was the second most beautiful girl he’d ever known, next to his mom, of course. And it was truly amazing that he called a doofus like him her best friend.

Percy shook himself out of his thoughts and headed towards his own locker, where he man-hugged his other friends—Grover, Nico and Jason. They had had the same homeroom since the start of high school and had been great friends ever since. But nothing compared to his friendship with Annabeth.

The group managed to find their homeroom without much difficulty. The other boys started chatting about some new student, but Percy wasn’t really focused on the conversation. He was thinking about Annabeth. Something had changed about her, and he couldn’t place his finger on it. How could anything have changed about her between today and yesterday? Was he not looking or something? But there _was_ something different, he was sure…

Percy was pulled out of his musings as Mr. Brunner strode to the front of the class. Beside him, standing rather awkwardly was a short but pretty redheaded girl. She was dressed in a casual white t-shirt, paint-splattered jeans and black Converses. She exuded an air of energy and optimism, like she would be ready to run a marathon at any given second, if you asked her to.

Mr. Brunner cleared his throat and the whole class quieted down. The redhead cringed. “Class, I’d like to introduce you to our new student, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Erm, so, uh, I hope you would welcome her well. Perseus, would you be so kind to show Ms. Dare around during break time?”

It took Percy a moment to realize that Mr. Brunner was talking to him. “Oh, erm, me?” he repeated, before realizing that it made him look like he didn’t want to do it, which definitely wasn’t the case, “Oh, yeah! Me! Sure, I’ll show you around,” he grinned.

Rachel awkwardly plopped into the chair next to Percy’s. Despite her awkwardness, she actually seemed quite confident for a girl who was just given the excruciating task of being introduced to the class. Percy thought that was pretty cool.

“Hey, sorry about my class. We’re totally awkward and socially handicapped,” he chuckled.

“Oh, no worries. I’ve had worse,” she replied easily.

Their light conversation continued until the bell for the first period rang. Surprisingly, Percy found that chatting with her was as easily as fun as chatting with most of his friends whom he had known for years. Except for Annabeth, of course.

But Rachel was pretty cool too. In the fifteen minutes that they’d been chatting, he learned that she had a passion for art, preferred jeans over dresses any day, and totally rebelled against her father.

At the same time, she learned that he was into marine biology, wasn’t at the top of the school’s social hierarchy but was also far from the bottom, and loved his mom more than he loved anyone in the world.

She nodded at all the right places and he chuckled at her lame jokes. They both enjoyed each other’s company.

By the end of the period, Percy asked her to meet up with him at the classroom for lunch with a real, wholehearted grin on his face. She agreed with an almost shy smile before they parted ways.

 

As the bell signaling the start of lunch rang, Percy made his way to Annabeth’s locker.

“Hey, Seaweed Brain,” she greeted with a fond smile.

“Hey yourself,” he replied.

“What’s up? Heard there’s a new kid in your homeroom.”

“Oh, yeah. Her name’s Rachel,” he said. “Mr. Brunner asked me to show her around during lunch today, actually.”

“So you’re gonna leave me for Rachel?” Annabeth whined teasingly, though inside she was feeling rather panicky. He wouldn’t really leave her, would he? Why wass she being so clingy?

“Of course not. Just for today, because I have to,” Percy quickly replied.

“Alright, see ya later then,” she said casually, before walking off to the cafeteria. Her heart ached, and she had no idea why. Of course her best friend wass allowed to have other friends. He’s had Grover, Nico and Jason and she had never been bothered. Why was it so different now? Why did she feel hurt?

 

Percy, on the other hand, was ecstatic for his meet-up with Rachel. He sprinted to their agreed rendezvous and saw the cute redhead he’d grown fond of leaning against the door.

He showed her around the campus, laughing and sharing short anecdotes of the crazy things that had happened here before. It was so crazy—they’d only met that morning, and yet he felt so carefree around her, feeding off her optimism and her amazing smile. He couldn’t help but adore her sunny attitude. Whenever he met her emerald green eyes, they seemed to whisper that everything was going to be alright.

Rachel had never felt so welcomed or appreciated as she did just then, with Percy showing her around. They chatted like they were old friends, and she found it so easy to share random facts about her life that she’d never shared with anyone else. She couldn’t help but admire him—his dimpled grin, with teeth shining brighter than her future, his perfect sea green eyes which seemed to dig deep into her soul and see her for more than the girl with a rich family, his long, thick lashes, and his messy, raven black hair. She was infatuated.

 

Later that afternoon, Percy was sitting cross-legged across Annabeth at the tree house—the place that had become their sanctuary, where they spent most of their time together. Percy felt more at home in that rickety old room than in his own bedroom. Drawings from when they were little kids were strewn across every surface available. Fairy lights lined the walls, kept in place by nails they had hammered in a couple of years ago. In the corner of the room were two sleeping bags, which they used every Saturday for their sleepovers. A large green rug with grey designs covered the wooden floor. Beanbags were placed in the center of the room for Movie Night, which they held on Friday nights. Overall, the tree house had become more than just a room to the two teens; it had become their safe haven.

As soon as they finished doing their homework—or in this case, as soon as Annabeth finished helping Percy understand how they did their homework—the pair of best friends lay down side by side staring at the ceiling, which had become a part of their routine since they were six. It was the first time Percy had trouble understanding their homework, and when Annabeth had finished explaining it to him, he had asked for a time out to try to process what she had said. In reality, he just wanted to take a nap, but since then, they had always had a time out post-homework.

“So, how did your tour with Rachel go?” Annabeth inquired nonchalantly.

“Oh, it was fine. Great actually,” Percy replied, “Rachel’s a pretty cool girl.”

“Oh, really?” Annabeth said, her heart feeling weird again.

“Yeah, she’s amazing,” Percy breathed, oblivious to Annabeth’s discomfort. “She’s funny, artistic, and really easygoing.”

“I’d _love_ to meet this Rachel of yours,” Annabeth said, almost a little too cheerily, but Percy didn’t notice the difference in her voice. “Maybe you should introduce us sometime,” she continued.

“Sure, I’ll ask her to have lunch with us tomorrow then,” Percy said with a grin.

A grin that made Annabeth’s gut explode in butterflies yet sent a pang of hurt through her system-- because it wasn’t a grin for her.

It was a grin for Rachel.


	3. Chapter III

**DISCLAIMER: I am a Broadway musical fanatic; I am a teenage girl; I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

**Chapter III**

Come homeroom the following day, Percy bounced into the room in anticipation to see his new friend. He scanned the room until his gaze stopped on a flaming red head.

There she was.

The energetic, lively, cute ginger he had spent his lunch with yesterday.

"Hiya, Red!" he greeted jovially, ruffling her frizzy hair with one hand.

"Hi, Perce," she smiled in acknowledgement. "What's up?"

"Weeell," he dragged out, "I was, uh, wondering if you, uhh, w-wanted to-o—"

"I'm aging here," she teased.

"Doyouwannahavelunchwithme?" he rushed out in a single breath, cheeks aflame, one hand awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. He stuttered, "I mean, not just me, Annabeth and the gang will be there too, and, well, you don't have to, but, y'know, I just thought it would be cool since like—you're laughing at me!" he whined.

Rachel laughed, a light feathery laugh that warmed Percy's heart. "Sure, I'd love to. Who's Annabeth, by the way?"

"Oh, she's been my best friend ever since we were born. We're practically siblings," Percy replied as the bell for first period rang. But the word "siblings" came out a bit awkwardly as he realized halfway through that it was really strange to describe them as brother and sister. Why would it be strange? Weren't they as close as siblings? He pushed his confusing thoughts away.

Rachel, on the other hand, had been a bit disheartened when Percy had mentioned the other girl. Best friends since they were born? They sounded pretty close, and she wondered if they were a bit more than friends. That is, until Percy had said "siblings", to which her mood had considerably lightened up. _Siblings don't date siblings_ , she thought to herself with a silly shake of her head.

* * *

The day passed excruciatingly slowly as Rachel waited in excitement for lunch to come. She couldn't wait to see Percy again. Her heart lifted at the thought of his smile, oh gods, his smile, and in that moment she knew that it was more than just a crush, which was really embarrassing, because they'd only known each other for a couple of days! And yet, she felt something real- something sweet and true.

When the bell for lunch rang, Rachel practically skyrocketed out of her seat in her haste to see Percy. Even just the thought of his name made her swoon. He was driving her nuts.

She bumped into him—quite literally, actually; she was running quite fast—on the way to the cafeteria. He was engaged in a light conversation with a girl Rachel presumed to be Annabeth. When he saw Rachel, he beamed.

"Rachel, this is Annabeth Chase, my best friend since birth and also my neighbor," he gestured towards her, his eyes twinkling. "Annabeth, this is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the new student in my homeroom," he introduced, practically bouncing in excitement as his best friend met his new friend.

The two friends in question greeted each other, somewhat awkwardly, and the air was filled with tension as Annabeth scrutinized Rachel. Percy took the chance to strike up a get-to-know-you conversation with the redhead.

When Annabeth got a good look at Rachel, she was filled with envy. There was no way Percy would be "just friends" with her. She was better than Annabeth in every way- her curly red locks were more engaging than Annabeth's dull blonde, her emerald orbs were brighter than Annabeth's boring grey. She was more lighthearted and seemed to make Percy laugh more than Annabeth did. The worst part was that Percy was looking at Rachel in a way that Annabeth was pretty sure she'd never seen him look at her before.

They joined what Percy had endearingly referred to as "the gang" - Nico, Grover, Jason, Jason's girlfriend called Piper and Jason's sister otherwise known as Thalia. They were pretty welcoming to the artsy newcomer. She and Grover chatted actively about environmental campaigns. Jason was able to relate to her having a controlling dad. Piper loved her laid-back outfit and compared it to her own. Thalia was interested in her rebellious streak against her dad. Even Nico cracked a smile at most of her corny jokes. She was fitting right in with everyone except a certain blonde.

Annabeth refused to be friendly to the annoyingly cheerful ginger. The whole lunchtime, she let the others do the talking. Rachel seemed more accepted by the others than she ever was, and it irked her. She was really upset and confused as to why she would be so upset over Percy making friends with Rachel. She needed a girl friend to talk to, and she knew exactly who to call.

* * *

Thalia Grace.

She was Annabeth's closest friend besides Percy. They met in 4th grade the day after Annabeth had neglected her Math homework. Their teacher, Mrs. Dodds, hated everyone for no good reason. She hated Annabeth in particular since she couldn't find a single flaw in her grades or conduct or anything- she was a perfect student.

So when Annabeth had forgotten one assignment, Mrs. Dodds gave her hell for it. She used the period to give Annabeth a week of detention and lecture her on how irresponsible she was and how she was just using the "perfect student" image to trick everyone.

Thalia, having heard what had happened with Annabeth's dad (gossip spreads like wildfire in their school), had had enough of Mrs. Dodds' stupid speech. She grabbed her own unfinished homework, bunched it into a ball, and threw it at Mrs. Dodds, shouting, "Take that you big bully!"

She, too, was given a week of detention and her mom had screamed at her for hours about it. But Thalia knew it would be worth it when she saw the corners of Annabeth's mouth tilt upwards for a second.

The two girls spent their detention chatting with each other. Annabeth poured out her grief to Thalia, who awkwardly tried to console her. Thalia didn't give the best or smartest advice, but she did try, which was more than enough for Annabeth. She and Percy made it possible for Annabeth to recover from the blow of the loss of her only living biological parent. From then on, the two had become closer than sisters.

* * *

At the moment, Percy and Rachel were absorbed in a debate of whether red food was better than blue food. Annabeth rolled her eyes at their antics but secretly sided with Percy. She excused herself to go to the restroom, dragging Thalia along with her. By the time she yanked Thalia into a stall, her face was as red as a tomato from getting all worked up about her problem.

Thalia quirked an eyebrow at her, gesturing for her to spill, although she already had inkling of where this was going.

"Thals, that redhead is driving me insane! I don't know who she thinks she is, chatting with Percy and the gang. She just won't stop blabbering on about her perfect artsy self or her stupidly perfect environmental campaigns! And the way she looks at Percy- it's disgusting! It's like she's tearing off his clothes with her eyes, that whore; I hate her!" Annabeth nearly yelled.

"Are you done with your 'Rachel is a she-devil who should be consigned to the seventh circle of hell' rant?" Thalia replied sarcastically. Then in a more serious tone, "Annie, you aren't going to like what I'm about to say, but Rachel is a completely nice, pleasant and innocent girl-"

"No she is not! She is just trying to-"

"Shh. I wasn't done yet-"

"Then why do I hate her so much?" Annabeth whispered in anguish.

Thalia gave her a look that said, stop interrupting me. "I was just about to get to that. Sweetie, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. You're just jealous."

"Jealous?" Annabeth exploded. "Of what?"

"Percy," Thalia replied simply.

"Why would I be jealous of Percy?" Annabeth asked, now completely bewildered.

"No, no, you're not jealous of Percy. You're jealous that Rachel has Percy."

"But-but why would I be jealous?" Annabeth stammered.

"Because you love him," Thalia replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course I love Percy! He's my best friend!" Annabeth replied indignantly.

"Annabeth, dearie, you don't just love him like friends do," Thalia spoke slowly, as if talking to a five-year-old. "You really have no idea, do you? You're in love with him, the way Piper is in love with Jason."

Annabeth was completely stunned.

How could that be possible?

How could she have fallen in love with her best friend?

She thought back to all the times they had hung out with each other, and it dawned on her.

* * *

She supposed it was when she and Percy were freshmen. They had been hanging out on the swings in the playground, and Percy asked her to do their best friend handshake. Back then, it was still the coolest thing ever to have handshakes, and she gladly obliged.

When she met his eyes, there was a weird, tugging feeling in her heart. When he clasped her hand in his, she felt an electrifying spark run up her hand, instead of the warm comfort she was used to with her best friend. She thought she saw a twinkle of surprise in Percy's sea green eyes, but it vanished within a moment.

She was so confused.

And one of the things the best friends had in common was how they dealt with things that confused them.

She pushed it to the back of her mind, and ignored the spark.

She pretended it wasn't there.

Over the years, she had mastered the art of pretending, and eventually, she forgot the spark.

* * *

Back in the stall, Annabeth sat down on the toilet seat, the realization overwhelming her.

"I am in love with Percy Jackson," she whispered to herself.

"Exactly!" Thalia grinned, patting her friend on the back. "The rest of the gang and I have just been waiting for you two to hook up. But now that the Rachel chick has gotten his attention, we have to take matters into our own hands," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Annabeth gulped. That meant that Thalia was coming up with a plan. And Annabeth never liked Thalia's plans.

And after Thalia had told her the plan, Annabeth almost regretted coming to her for advice.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by in a blur, and before she knew it, Friday had come. Annabeth had already started Phase One of the plan- get Luke Castellan, quarterback and head of the student council, to notice her. This had been easy enough, since Luke had had a crush on her in seventh grade. All she had to do was giggle whenever she saw him, ask him how his day was a couple of times and all that disgusting stuff that made her barf but made Luke grin. At least tonight she'd get to spend more time with Percy for Movie Night.

Rachel became a permanent member of the gang. She genuinely enjoyed their company, especially Percy's. Speaking of Percy, they had been spending almost all their free time together. She had invited him over to her house to chill and do homework together since Wednesday but he always replied that he was busy with Annabeth, which irked her to no end. However, he finally relented to come on Friday, and she was extremely excited.

Percy legitimately enjoyed Rachel's company, and had really wanted to spend more time with her outside of school ever since she had asked. But he couldn't just leave his best friend like that. So he decided to spend a couple more days with Annabeth before accepting Rachel's request. He was sorry to be missing Movie Night, but he was excited to chill with Rachel.

When he arrived at the address Rachel had given, he wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, Rachel had mentioned that her family was pretty comfortable a couple of times, but that just didn't cover it. When he got out of the Camaro, he was greeted by the sight of a mansion. Seriously, it was huge. It had to have at least four floors, with three balconies on each floor. There was a huge gate up front, and past that he could see a vast garden with expensive sculptures and fountains. Rachel greeted him a bit shyly and invited him inside.

She then showed him her gallery, filled with artworks she'd been making ever since she was four. Percy was speechless. He could not believe the talent that the petite redhead possessed. Her artworks were almost magical. They gave him a glimpse into who Rachel really was.

After that, they proceeded to her ginormous bedroom and blasted music on Rachel's luxury speakers and compared their music tastes. They played Monopoly Deal, which Percy sucked at and obviously lost.

At around ten pm, they were both lounging around on the couch watching TV. Nothing interested the pair and so they decided to switch it off.

There, lazing on the couch with an awkward space between them, Percy had a sudden impulse and grabbed Rachel's hand. She stifled a gasp at the sudden contact and started praying that her hands weren't sweaty.

"Let's play a get-to-know-you game," Percy suggested, leaning a bit closer.

"S-sure," Rachel stammered, heart hammering at their closeness.

"All you have to do is say 5 things you're thinking at the moment. You start."

"I'm kinda hungry," Rachel started, to which Percy chuckled, "I had fun tonight. You suck at Monopoly Deal," she continued, trying to think of anything aside from how he was so close that she could feel his breath tickling her ear. "I like to paint, and, er," her heart was racing and she couldn't think if anything else, "my heart is beating really fast right now," she admitted, cheeks aflame.

"Oh? Why is that?" Percy managed to ask, though his heart was racing too.

"Not fair! It's your turn," Rachel smiled smugly.

"O-okay," Percy was losing confidence in his plan now, but he pushed on through, "I also had fun tonight. I have a weakness for redheads," he said, a corner of his mouth tilting up. "You're smile makes my heart do jumping jacks," he was leaning even closer, "you look gorgeous," their noses were touching now, "and I really,  _really_ , want to kiss you."

And so he did.

His lips met hers gently, in a sweet, innocent kiss. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't pull away. Her lips tasted like strawberries. He felt her hands run through his hair and she pulled him towards her, deepening it. They pulled away and he smiled, but his heart wasn't in it. She didn't notice.

Is that really what a kiss felt like? He wasn't sure what he was expecting. There were no fireworks or sparks or anything. He was confused, but he assumed that that was what real kisses felt like. He pushed his disturbing thoughts away and decided to enjoy the moment.

Rachel, on the other hand, felt like melting into a puddle. That was the most amazing kiss ever. Not that she's had any to compare to, but that didn't matter. It just felt right to her. She swore that she could hear wedding bells ringing. She was in love.

She giggled and stared into his gorgeous sea green eyes.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" she suggested.

"Sure," Percy replied with a silly smile. I love movies, he thought. I watch movies every Friday night with Annabeth...

"ANNABETH!" he yelled aloud, ruining the moment. "Crap, I forgot to text her that I'd be going to your house today!"

* * *

Annabeth had been having a very different type of night. She had a student council meeting earlier that afternoon and told Percy he could take the Camaro. She walked home, tired and irritated at her stupid decision, but excited to see Percy, whom she now knew she loved. Upon reaching their street, she headed straight to their tree house for Movie Night.

She was surprised to see it empty, since he had left school with the car an hour earlier than she had. She figured she would just set up the movie and wait for him to come.

She went inside his house and greeted Sally, who told her she had no idea where Percy was either and handed her their pizza to bring to the treehouse. Sally suggested that she wait for him, and that if he didn't come by eight pm, that she watch the movie without him.

And so Annabeth waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Her irritation grew and she decided to eat and watch without him. She was so confused. This had never happened in their sixteen years of best friendship. At around ten-thirty, a few minutes after the movie ended, her phone buzzed.

 **Seaweed Brain** : Sorry Wise Girl, forgot to tell you that I'd be at Rachel's today. IOU an extra Movie Night. Love you.

Annabeth fumed. He was at Rachel's?! While she was sitting here moping around waiting for him! But at the same time, her heart lifted at the last sentence of his text and she knew she couldn't stay mad at him, even if he meant it in a completely platonic way.

 **Wise Girl:**  S'okay.

She was heartbroken. She was completely head over heels for her best friend who was probably head over heels for someone else. Alone in their safe haven, she cried. And she firmly resolved that next week, she'd step up her game with Phase Two of The Plan.


	4. Chapter IV

**DISCLAIMER: I love to bake; I am a Broadway musical fanatic; I am a teenage girl; I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

**Chapter IV**

"So, you and Rachel, huh?" Annabeth asked airily.

"Wh-what?" Percy stammered.

They were back in the tree house, playing video games on a typical Saturday afternoon- or at least, an almost typical afternoon. Nearly everything about the scenario was as per ordinary.

Earlier that day, Annabeth had turned up at the Jackson's with her stepmom for lunch.

The two adults chatted actively over barbeque and lemonade, shielded from the sweltering sun by the massive canopy provided by the hefty old tree that harbored the teens' much-cherished tree house. Despite the stinging pain Annabeth felt from her heartbreak, she managed to conceal her feelings the entire time, putting up a very convincing performance where nothing was amiss and her best friend wasn't leaving her for someone he'd only known for a week.

She made small talk with Percy, chatting about random things that weren't important. After lunch, the pair proceeded to the tree house and engaged themselves in a competitive game of Mario Kart.

Both teens were aware of the unusual tension between them, but they were both equally determined not to bring it up.

That is, until Annabeth finally did.

"I mean, you missed watching Finding Nemo for her! She must be special to you," Annabeth said lightheartedly, forcing a smile, even if it was the last thing she wanted to talk about.

"Yeah, she, er, she really is," Percy sighed, relieved that he could finally confide in his best friend. He'd been worried that she was still upset over last night, but her attitude today seemed to tell a different story.

"She's cute, she's funny, and she's a little bit weird, but the good weird, y'know?" Percy said fondly. "She has this brilliant smile, and she just makes me feel so  _happy_ ," he continued, not seeing that the fake smile plastered on Annabeth's face was continually looking more and more like a grimace.

"Oh, that's just _great!_ " Annabeth exclaimed, forcing back the tears that were threatening to overflow. Percy, being the oblivious moron that he was, didn't notice the sarcasm in her tone.

"You really think so?" Percy beamed, glad that his best friend would get along with the girl he liked. "Well, that's great, because I've been wanting to tell you something, but I was kind of nervous about your reaction," he admitted.

"What's up?" Annabeth asked, heart dropping as she realized where this was going.

"Rachel and I, um, we're together now. She's my girlfriend! Can you believe it, Annie?" he exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye, like a four-year-old boy getting excited over bubbles. "I had my first kiss last night," he continued, cheeks heating up a bit.

"Wow, that's just amazing! Bloody brilliant! So,  _so_ happy for you!" she managed to choke out, more sarcasm seeping in with every sentence. Her cheeks were starting to ache from smiling so much. "Well, I have to check up on some, uhh, stuff back at home," she lied. "Catch you later!" she said, already climbing down the ladder with tears streaming down her face.

"Okay, love you!" Percy hollered from above.

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain," she whispered hoarsely to herself.

* * *

Annabeth raced to her room as fast as she could. After she swung the familiar grey door open, she collapsed on her bed in loud, ugly sobs. Why did he have to fall for someone else? Why couldn't it have been her? She knew him inside out, even better than she knew herself. Why couldn't she be as quirky and cute as that  _stupid redhead?_ She screamed into her pillow, upset with herself for tearing herself up over an idiotic boy, who she also happened to be in love with.

When Annabeth had recovered from breaking down and her voice was back to normal, she reached for her cell phone, now determined more than ever to go on with The Plan. Any inkling of doubt she'd had about it before was gone.

After the previous night's fiasco, she had stayed up texting Luke, getting to know him more and slowly earning his trust. Today, she'd ask him out.

"Hey, Luke! I heard there's a great movie coming out tonight. Wanna check it out?" she said flirtatiously, giggling into her phone.

"Sure. Pick you up at seven?" he inquired, his voice full of excitement.

"Kay! See you later."

After getting to know him, Annabeth actually felt kind of bad for using him to get Percy. He was really sweet and seemed like a really genuine kind of guy. He had adorably messy dirty blonde hair, cerulean blue eyes and a blindingly bright smile. If Annabeth wasn't so in love with Percy, she might've actually considered dating him for real.

She called up Thalia and consulted her on what she needed to do next.

* * *

At seven pm sharp, Luke rang the doorbell to the Chase's house.

"Hi, Luke," Annabeth greeted him excitedly.

"A-annabeth," he stuttered, "you look so beautiful."

Annabeth blushed and glanced down at her outfit. Truth be told, she hadn't really put too much effort into it, since this was just a fake date. But it also happened to be her first official date, so she did dress up nicely. She wore a light denim jacket over a white floral dress with a sweetheart neckline, which cut off at her knees, her favorite owl-grey sneakers and a small flower crown. Her curly blonde hair was tied in a casual ponytail that flowed down her left shoulder.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Well, m'lady, would you give a lowly peasant like me the great honor of taking you to the movies?" he asked charmingly, a light smile playing on his face as he bowed with his hand held out.

"Of course, my dear prince," she grinned, this time, genuinely excited over her date.

The night was going perfectly. Luke was charming and funny, and took her out to dinner after the film. He actually seemed interested when she blabbered on about architecture, and she was actually intrigued by his football talk. She was starting to feel nervous about the next part of the plan, but she knew it was necessary.

As they shared a diabolically sweet molten lava cake, Annabeth prepared herself for the next step.

She stared into his eyes, then her gaze dropped to his lips, just as Thalia had instructed. She looked down shyly, before biting her own lips. Thalia had told her that these were sure signs that she wanted him to kiss her. Annabeth had no clue when it came to these things, so she decided to place all her trust in her crazy friend.

Luke swallowed and said nervously, "Uh, I think you've got something on your lip there. I think I'll just, uh, try to get it off."

He then leaned in, tilting towards her.

She was starting to have second doubts about The Plan. Was she really willing to throw away her first kiss?

But it was too late to take it back now.

His lips landed on hers in a feather light kiss. She closed her eyes, picturing Percy instead of Luke as she responded, a bit unsurely. Luke deepened the kiss, tangling his hands in her princess curls.

Just then, the restaurant door opened.

And then the most cliché thing happened.

In walked Percy, his arm around none other than Rachel.

"Annabeth?"

Annabeth's eyes snapped open as she took in the situation. She jumped away from Luke like his touch burned her, before she realized that Percy was standing, just a few meters away. She did not expect him to be here, but Thalia had said that The Plan would work twice as efficient if Percy were around.

And so she roughly grabbed Luke's face and pulled it towards her own, kissing him more fervently this time.

Percy spoke up again, more incredulous this time, "Annabeth? May I speak to you for a second?"

Annabeth turned towards him and gave him an irritated glance, like she was annoyed with him for interrupting. Then, she replied irately, "Fine."

Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand, sending a shock through her system, while Rachel went off to find a table. He dragged Annabeth outside to the parking lot, before yelling, "What the hell was that? Why are you with  _Luke Castellan?"_

Annabeth rolled her eyes at him and stated slowly, "Because I like him and he likes me and we're on a date, doofus."

"I get that! But why  _him?!"_

"Why are you so upset? Why Rachel, then?!" Annabeth raised her voice.

"That's different! Rachel's a completely sweet and innocent girl and—" Percy explained.

"What's so different about that? Luke's a completely sweet and innocent guy!" she retorted.

"No, he's not! He's gonna hurt you, Annabeth!" Percy pleaded for her to understand.

"How do you know that!?" Annabeth asked suspiciously.

"Because that's what he's like! I've heard the way he talks about girls behind their backs! I don't want you to get hurt, Wise Girl," his voice softened at the end. "Please don't do this to yourself," his voice cracked and Annabeth was shocked to see a tear streaming down his face.

But Annabeth was unconvinced. "You know what, Percy? I think that you're just  _jealous!_ " she said cruelly. "Stop being so possessive. You already have Rachel, okay?! You can't have me too!" she yelled, her eyes full of tears threatening to spill.

"Stop being so damn  _stupid_ , Annabeth!" Percy was done being patient. He was trying to help her, but she couldn't see it.

Annabeth felt like she'd been slapped.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

She ran- away from the parking lot, away from her forgotten date, and away from Percy.

She heard a voice yelling her name and she stopped running. She broke down completely and felt strong arms wrapping around her. Instantly, she knew they weren't Percy's. They were Luke's.

Luke lifted her into a car and gently lay her down. He drove her home and walked her to the front door.

When Annabeth got to her room, she wept for the second time that day. She wept because she was so stupid. She wept because she was so hurt. And she wept because the one person on the planet who could make her feel better was the same person who hurt her in the first place.

The same person she was still, despite everything that had happened, hopelessly in love with.

* * *

Percy was so, so stupid.

As soon as he realized what he had said, he immediately wanted to take it back. He tried to.

But then she ran.

Away from  _him._

Percy was torn apart at this realization. He was supposed to be her best friend. He was supposed to make her happy. He was supposed to always be there for her. They were supposed to be together, forever.

And yet here he was. And he made her run away.

At that moment, he was jolted into action, running as fast as he could. He ran so fast he didn't notice until he ran into a large figure.

"Sorry," he replied instantly, before taking off again. But the figure grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

The figure turned out to be an outraged Luke Castellan.

"Stay away from my girl!" he spat before proceeding to beat Percy up.

On a normal day, Percy could have probably handled Luke easily. He was part of the swim team and thus had a better body than an average guy, but today was far from normal. Percy was too torn from grief and self-pity.  _I deserve this,_  he thought. And so he let Luke beat him to a pulp until his whole body felt sore and ached so much that he couldn't get up.

Fortunately, Rachel found him and helped him up. He profusely apologized for how their first date turned out, but she said it was okay. He also felt really bad because truth be told, he had forgotten all about Rachel and their date because of what had happened with Annabeth.

As soon as he got home, he raced across the street rapped his knuckles on Annabeth's front door. There was no answer. He tried everything to contact her, from calling her mom to throwing rocks at her window. But there was no answer.

At that moment, he would've done anything to take back what had happened.

He would've done anything to take back losing his best friend.


	5. Chapter V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT- TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE. IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE, DON'T READ. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Kay, peace out! :)

**DISCLAIMER: I play the piano, guitar and some ukulele; I love to bake; I am a Broadway musical fanatic; I am a teenage girl; I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

**Chapter V**

That entire week, Annabeth didn't utter a single word to Percy.

Not a single "hello" or even just "hi".

Not a "sorry" when she bumped into him at school or a "good morning" when she passed him in the hallways.

That entire week, Percy was aching to hear her voice address him, even if it yelled or screamed something about he how he was stupid and insensitive, because he knew he was—and he wanted to make it up to her. But he was practically invisible to her.

She didn't even look him in the eye.

How he missed her eyes- the mysterious, stormy grey that was usually filled with compassion and joy.

Needless to say, she no longer came over to the tree house. Consequently, his grades were dropping, although he couldn't care less.

That entire week, Percy was in absolute agony.

Sure, Rachel helped, telling him that what he did  _was_  stupid, even if it was for the right reasons. She comforted him, saying that Annabeth was a smart girl and that she'd probably heed Percy's advice about Luke. She spent her every waking moment trying to make him feel better; trying to catch his attention again.

But nothing worked.

He was so worked up over Annabeth that even though he appreciated Rachel's support and presence, she seemed to be invisible to him.

And that killed her.

She knew she'd have to do something before Annabeth stole back her boyfriend.

* * *

It felt like an eternity before Friday came again.

Annabeth was exhausted. All week, she had been doing her absolute best, honestly she had. She didn't say a word to him and didn't meet his eyes. She ignored his hundreds of text messages and calls. She told Helen not to open the door to him.

To an onlooker, she seemed to be ignoring him completely.

But when no one was looking, she glanced at him longingly, because even though he had put her through so much pain, she still wanted them to be together, forever.

Luke truly helped to take her mind off Percy.

After school, instead of going to the tree house, Luke took her on strolls around parks and ice cream parlors.

He made her laugh and smile when she felt like banging her head on the wall.

He actually made her  _happy_ , when all she wanted to was kick someone in the balls.

Tonight, he said they'd try something different and go to Nico's party. Annabeth was equally excited and scared, mostly because she'd never been to a party before. That was quite embarrassing, but honestly, she'd never wanted to either. She preferred quiet nights up in the tree house with Percy, reading or playing board games or just lying down in the balcony, watching the stars.

But that hadn't happened in a while, and didn't seem like it was going to happen soon, so she agreed to the party.

Besides, Luke had basically been  _the_ perfect boyfriend the entire week. He was sweet and compassionate, but also strong and brave when he needed to be. And he definitely wasn't lacking in the looks department.

But when they had finally arrived at the Di Angelo Residence, she really wished she had stayed in bed.

* * *

Nico's door swung open to reveal the very drunk and intoxicated host of the party.

"Haaaii," he mumbled in a singsong voice, "Welcooooomeee too myy paaartyy!"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at his antics and muttered to Luke, "Didn't realize we were that late."

Luke chuckled, "Nah, Nico always starts early."

Annabeth turned to the rest of the party and wanted to crawl into a ball. This is why introverts don't go to parties.

Music blasted in her eardrums, the bass low and pounding. The living room was crowded with sweaty teenagers screaming and "dancing"—or in this case, jumping up and down—to the music. Multicolored lights flashed everywhere. At the moment, the room was doused in pink light. Aside from waiters going around with platters of drinks, there was also a small table in the corner of the room that seemed to scream "alcohol".

"Great party isn't it?!" Luke yelled over the deafening music.

"Yeah!" Annabeth shouted back, rather unsurely.

As soon as they stepped into the main room, the crowd had thickened and they were instantly separated.

A few of the older boys had taken notice of Annabeth, standing alone in the corner of the room. They were now eyeing her up and down. She shivered. Now, they were walking towards her!

 _Oh, gods_ , she thought, face paling as she realized her situation.

Just then, an arm looped through hers and walked her in the other direction. Annabeth was about to start struggling when she noticed the face of her captor.

Raven black hair and beautiful sea green eyes greeted her, somewhat hesitant and fearful for her reaction.

Annabeth just sighed in relief and let him lead her outside, towards the garden.

When they had gotten far enough from the crowd, it was silent enough for them to have a normal conversation.

She glanced around at her surroundings. Nico was pretty rich. The garden was in full bloom, with roses and carnation bushes arranged artfully in a circle. They were located around a grand, magnificent fountain, which spewed crystal clear water out of a large flower, carved in stone. Fairy lights were hung around the area, providing soft illumination for the scenery. Beautiful wooden benches stood in front of the bushes. The pair took a seat on one of them.

Percy looked down in shame. "Annabeth, look—"

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

"Wait, what?" Percy was bewildered.

"I'm sorry. I said some pretty awful things to you last week," she continued. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, it was just hard for me."

Percy understood immediately. Annabeth had always had pride issues.

"Annabeth, you have nothing to be sorry for. I made a huge mistake that night, and I hate myself for it. I'd go back in time and change it, but I can't," Percy admitted, downcast. He got a pleading look in his eyes. "But I need to know if there's any chance you'd still be willing to be my best friend."

He waited for Annabeth to shout at him. To tell him that that was such a douchebag move after what he had said to her.

He was shocked when her tiny arms wrapped around his build.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain," she said into his chest

"I love you, Wise Girl," he stroked her hair.

"Love you, too."

Stormy grey orbs met sea green ones.

There was an emotion behind Percy's eyes that Annabeth couldn't identify.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock. "Oh crap, I forgot to tell my mom that I'd be going to Nico's party tonight!"

"You are such a Seaweed Brain," Annabeth chortled fondly.

"Ha, ha," Percy replied sarcastically. Then, in a more sincere tone, "I need to head home now, but I'm glad that I caught you tonight."

"Me too."

He waved before jogging off.

"Hey, Bethyyy," someone whispered in her ear. Annabeth yelped in surprise. She turned to face the mystery man and was relieved to be met by comforting blue eyes and sandy blond hair.

"Oh, h-hey Luke," she stuttered, unsure of whether he witnessed her scene with Percy, and confused as to whether she should care. They didn't do anything more than what best friends would do, anyway.

"Soo, you and Kelp Heead, huhh?" he asked. There was something different about him…

"Nah, we're just friends," Annabeth blushed shyly.

"Ohhh? That's goood. I thought for a second there that he wass steealing  _my girrrrl_ ," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. His possessiveness began to make her feel a bit uncomfortable, but she just brushed it off. "Let's heaaad over to myy house," he slurred. He had a strange smell lingering on him, but she assumed it was just party smell.

"Oh, okay," Annabeth smiled. "I've always wanted to meet Mrs. and Mr. Castellan."

* * *

The drive to the Castellan's made Annabeth a bit nauseous. Luke made sharp turns, going way over the speed limit. He narrowly dodged cars and didn't pause at the stoplights. Why was Luke driving so recklessly? He was usually a really good driver. She pushed away her uneasiness.

When they walked through Luke's front door, Annabeth was beginning to feel a bit nervous. What if his parents didn't like her? Then he'd break up with her and The Plan would fail. She couldn't let that happen.

Turns out, she had nothing to worry about. The Castellans weren't home. For some reason, that only increased her unease.

Luke suggested that they head down to the basement and chill.

"So, Anniebethhyy," Luke dragged out. Annabeth couldn't tell what was up with him. "Why weree you hanging aroouund with the Jackson boy?" he repeated his question from before, but now it sounded more like an accusation.

"No reason," Annabeth retorted defensively. "We were just hanging out. He's my best friend, you know."

"Noo! Heee's thee one who broke yourr heart," Luke said, more anger in his tone. "Hee's the one whoo's trying to steeaal you!"

"He doesn't care about me that way," Annabeth muttered, but now, fear was creeping into her system.  _Luke isn't like this,_  she thought.

Then it dawned on her.

He was completely wasted.

" _I'm not stuuupid, Annabeth!_ " he yelled his lungs out. "I know you like him, and that you're just  _using_  me!"

"I'm s-sorry, Luke," she stuttered in trepidation. "I really am!"

He towered over her, his once comforting blue eyes holding a maniacal, savage glint.

"No, you're not!" he practically screamed. Pure rage was evident in every part of his body. He practically radiated anger.

"I am!" Annabeth was starting to tear up.

**[SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC ABUSE STARTS HERE]**

" _No, you're not, you stupid whore!"_ he bellowed in outrage, before landing a punch to her forehead, making her stumble and fall. She felt soreness in her side as he kicked it repeatedly. His nails left bloody wounds on her stomach as he scraped her in anger. With each blow, he let out an animalistic wail. He hit her, over and over, until she was fading in and out of consciousness, and could not decipher the difference between nightmares and reality.

How could this be happening? How could this be the same sweet, charming boy she had had ice cream with yesterday? How could this be Luke?  _How could she not have seen it coming?_

Wasn't it just yesterday that he was comforting her over heartbreak? Didn't he tell her jokes to make her smile? What had happened to him? What had she done to deserve this?

Sure, she had been using him to get someone else, which she truly regretted now. She thought back to all the times she pretended he was Percy, and came to the conclusion that she deserved it. She deserved all the pain she was feeling now. She deserved the bruises that were slowly surfacing. She deserved the pain spreading throughout her body as she lay on the floor, paralyzed from fear.

**[SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC ABUSE ENDS HERE]**

She deserved the insults he was yelling at her.

"You're such a whore! You're so  _damn_  stupid! Why would Percy ever want you? Why would I ever want you! You're stupid and ugly and worthless!"

His words hurt her more than his punches. But she knew he didn't mean it. He couldn't. He was just drunk. It was okay. She forgave him.

It was her fault. Why couldn't she just be a good girl? She hurt him so much and so it was just right that he hurt her back. It was fair.

She was the bad guy in this story.

Besides, Luke needed her. Luke needed her to protect him from himself. If he hurt himself because of her, she would never forgive herself.

She briefly wondered what Percy would do if he saw her in this state.

She was nothing more than a fragile heap of nearly broken bones and bruised skin, lying haphazardly on the cold, stone floor, bawling her eyes out for being such a terrible girlfriend.

But it was all her fault.


End file.
